The Alliance for African Partnership (AAP) is seeking applicants for the fifth cohort of the AAP African Futures Research Leadership Program. This competitive visiting scholar program supports early career researchers from the AAP consortium to work for one year under the mentorship of faculty members from MSU and their home institution, focusing on building skills in research for impact, writing scholarly and/or policy publications, disseminating of research results, and developing grant proposals for external support. Scholars will also participate in a structured professional development program while building bridges and lasting connections with MSU contacts and across their cohort.  The main objective of the African Futures program is to strengthen the capacity of a cadre of African researchers to return to their home institutions and become scientific leaders in their community, establish long-term partnerships with MSU faculty, co-create innovative solutions to Africa’s challenges, and in turn become trainers of the next generation of researchers. This program aims to address the gender gap in Africa, where only 30% of researchers are women, so scholars selected for the program will be women, or men who can demonstrate they are committed to support efforts towards gender equity in higher education institutions in Africa. The research areas that the scholars will engage in during the program should be aligned to AAP's research priority areas.  The AAP Management Team requests applications from early career researchers to participate in the next cohort, with work to begin virtually in February 2025. Scholars will spend September – December 2025 at MSU for the in-person portion of the program, followed by another period of virtual collaboration, ending in early 2026. The scholar and mentor team will receive a small grant for research and professional development activities including conference attendance and publication. Scholars will also receive a stipend during their time at MSU, visa application support, and round-trip travel from their home institution. Potential Research Areas  Selected scholars will work in one of AAP’s seven priority areas: Agri-food systems Water, Energy, and Environment Culture and Society Youth Empowerment Education Health and Nutrition Science, Technology, and Innovation Selected scholars will be paired with an MSU mentor and commit to working with the MSU mentor and the home institution mentor for the duration of the program.   Program Benefits  Professional development activities – AAP will offer structured professional development workshops centered on topics such as building equitable partnerships, academic time management, proposal development and budgeting, research communication, etc. to establish professional trajectories, to build research, writing, and publishing skills, and to support scholars to move through various stages of review, promotion, and growth.  Leadership activities – this will center on a research leadership retreat to expose scholars to the key competencies of research leaders, the work that research leaders engage in, personal reflection on their characteristics and career goals to help determine the pathway to advancement to research leadership. Collaboration networks – the early career researcher will be co-mentored by an MSU faculty member and a faculty member from their home institution. Mentors will have the opportunity to visit their counterpart for one week during the duration of the program. The scholar will also gain access to AAP’s broad network of researchers at MSU, across Africa, and beyond. Proposed activities should ultimately lead to potential long-term collaborations between MSU and the partner institution.    Expected Outcomes Each scholar and mentors are expected to produce the following outputs, at minimum, by the end of the program: Submission or evidence of publication of one to three joint manuscripts At least one grant proposal application At least one conference presentation Collaborations with mentors are meant to be long-term and continue after the end of the program. Scholars are encouraged to network with MSU faculty beyond their mentor while at MSU. Scholars are expected to submit regular progress reports to AAP and their home institution focal point. Failure to meet program and mentor expectations can result in early dismissal. Eligibility  Citizen of an African country  Completion of a PhD degree within the last 10 years  Employed as an Academic Staff member at one of the AAP African consortium universities including Egerton University, Makerere University, University of Dar es Salaam, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Botswana, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, University Cheikh Anta Diop, University of Arts and Humanities, Bamako, United States International University-Africa, and University of Pretoria  Have documented approval of leave or sabbatical to participate in the program for the in-person period  Have a mentor at their home institution that will serve as a collaborator and mentor Research must be in one of the AAP priority areas Applicants may only submit one proposal to AAP in this round of funding. Prior scholars are not eligible to apply.  Application Requirements  Applicants should provide the following documents as part of their application package:  An up-to-date curriculum vitae (CV) that provides a chronological review of their professional accomplishments  A letter of interest that demonstrates how their research interest and experience is aligned to the AAP research priority area and how they plan to implement long-term sustainable partnership (1 pages) (for male applicants) include how they have supported efforts towards gender equity in higher education institutions in Africa Names of potential mentors at MSU (applicants should browse relevant MSU department’s website to identify up to three faculty that are aligned with their research interests. Applicants should not contact MSU faculty directly - AAP will reach out on the applicant’s behalf) Two publications in refereed journals related to their research area  Two professional references that detail the relationship to the applicant and provide specific examples of their assessment of the expertise of the applicant’s research area  A letter from the mentor at their home institution indicating willingness to serve as a collaborator during the program, travel to MSU for one week of collaboration discussions, and mentor the early career researcher when they return to their home institution (1 page)  A written endorsement from the applicants’ Head of Department approving leave (1 page)  A letter of support from the AAP Focal Point for the scholar’s application (1 page) Selection Criteria:  Professional merit, scientific ability, potential career impact and future collaboration goals with MSU faculty (based on CV, letter of interest, publications, Head of dept and home mentor letters, and two reference letters)  Assurance and availability of resources from the home institution for a designated, funded position for the early career researcher upon completion of their fellowship (expressed in letter from head of Dept at the home institution)  Commitment to return to their home country following completion of training (expressed in a letter of interest)  The selection committee will ensure the best match of outstanding candidates and MSU mentors Additional selection factors may include diversity in scientific research areas and geographic origin  Applications are due on August 18, 2024  Apply: https://msu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_a60s40TOPXGO5sq   Additional program dates: Program start date (virtual): February 2025 In-person program: Sept - Dec 2025 Program end date: February 2026 Questions  Please contact José Jackson-Malete at  jacks184@msu.edu  or +1 517-884-8587 with any questions.  Read more

Partnerships for Innovative Research in Africa 2024 Call for ProposalsInfo session and Q&A slides The Alliance for African Partnership (AAP), a consortium of ten leading African universities, a distinguished research network for African research institute, and Michigan State University, is inviting proposals for its Partnerships for Innovative Research in Africa (PIRA) strategic funding program. As a consortium-wide initiative, PIRA is a tiered funding opportunity designed to cultivate and support multidirectional, collaborative research partnerships at any stage of their development, whether they are initiatives to explore and create new relationships or scale existing ones. One of the unique aspects to these grants is the expectation that organizations will establish and develop fair and equitable partnerships from conception to closeout of the project, involving local stakeholders throughout the project, respecting their knowledge and expertise, and taking an adaptive approach that is responsive to the local context. Proposals should outline processes to establish such partnerships. Fair and equitable partnerships must also be established among members of the consortium if multiple organizations are working on the implementation of the project. Proposed partnership activities may entail cooperative research, capacity building initiatives, outreach and/or other activities that align with AAP’s pillars of building bridges, transforming institutions, and transforming lives. Proposals must address at least one of AAP’s priority areas: agri-food systems; water, energy and  environment; culture and society; youth empowerment; education; health and nutrition; and, science, technology, and innovation. Proposals are encouraged from diverse disciplinary perspectives. Submitted proposals must include principal investigators from both MSU and at least one African AAP member university. The project implementation timeframe will be 18 months. FUNDING TIERS The tiered funding structure is designed to support partnerships at different stages of maturity to create and strengthen relationships among institutions and act as a catalyst for research teams in securing external funding that will allow for long-term engagement. Applicants should submit proposals for the funding tier that best fits the level of engagement established among the PIs on the research team. However, AAP management reserves the right to relegate proposals to a different tier if deemed more appropriate during review. To ensure broad impact, more awards will be given at the planning grant level than the scaling grant level. Proposed activities for each tier may include, but are not limited to: Planning Grants (up to $50,000), inception and early-stage partnership research activities, travel support for co-developing joint proposals (in accordance with all MSU travel guidelines), short-term capacity building trainings, network development, research symposia, or other activities that align with AAP’s priority themes and strategic objectives. Scaling Grants (up to $100,000), continuation of ongoing partnerships that have the potential to significantly scale their research, capacity building, or outreach activities, broader institutional linkages, or other activities that align with AAP’s priority themes and strategic objectives.  ELIGIBILITY The lead investigators for proposals must come from MSU and AAP African member universities. Proposals may also include partners from other institutions globally. Teams are encouraged to include partners from the private sector, governments, civil society organizations, and pan-African/global institutions. Individuals who were PIs or co-PIs on grants from the previous round of PIRA grants or AAP’s strategic partnership grants are not eligible to lead proposals under this call but may participate as team members. MSU ISP staff are not eligible to lead proposals. GUIDELINES FOR APPLICANTS All submissions must have a cover sheet and proposal narrative that includes the information listed below, a budget and budget narrative using the provided template, and letters of support. Please submit all application material via the application portal by Wednesday, August 14 at 11:59 PM EST. Application with the project's title as well as names, institutional affiliations, titles of all principal investigators, and a brief (about 100 words) project summary A proposal narrative, not to exceed 5,000 words with one appendix for references cited, that includes: A description of the partnership, containing: Capacity statements from each partner institution that outlines their respective strengths in relation to their proposed roles and responsibilities in the partnership A brief description of the past or ongoing partnership, if applicable The rationale for partnership and evidence that it will create or cultivate equitable, sustainable, and mutually beneficial partnerships A problem statement that identifies the shared challenges to be addressed by the program activities, the theory of change, their relevance to AAP’s themes and pillars Clearly defined objectives of the proposed partnership A description of program activities as well as a logical framework that connects the proposed activities with their intended outputs, outcomes, and programmatic objectives A timeline of activities A monitoring, evaluating, and learning plan that outlines proposed indicators and collection methods Identification of potential sources of additional funding that the partnership will pursue during the program’s period of performance A line-item budget and budget narrative using the template provided. Templates and more information on budgetary considerations are below in BUDGET. A letter of support from each partner’s department, institution, or organization; and A CV or resume of each principal investigator (1-page max). A letter of support for each PI from their dean or head of department that signifies buy-in from each partner at the institutional level. Please use the provided template SELECTION CRITERIA Program goals should align with at least one of AAP’s pillars: Building bridges: Bringing people and organizations together to work toward common goals. Illustrative activities under this objective include: sponsoring thematic symposia or workshops that bring people together across sectors and disciplines or travel for preparation of proposals for larger grant applications. This also includes network development, communications among research groups or networks (e.g. digital innovations and digital forums), dissemination of knowledge through online journals and/or sharing of best practices among partners Transforming institutions: Promoting sustainable and effective partnerships among institutions, enhancing resources, and increasing institutional capacity. Illustrative activities under this objective include: institutional capacity development at universities, NGOs, or in the public sector such as building financial management capacity, improving teaching and learning at universities, and/or increasing proposal development skills, among others. Transforming lives: Supporting research with real-world impact that improves African lives and livelihoods. Illustrative activities under this objective include: putting research into action through evidence-based outreach and engagement, conducting early-stage research that has obvious potential to impact lives and livelihoods, improving dissemination of research outputs to practitioners and policy-makers, and/or designing innovative research-into-practice methodologies.  Submitted proposals will be evaluated according to the following criteria: Evidence of a collaborative and equitable partnership that strengthens personal, professional, and/or institutional networks in a mutually beneficial and sustainable way. Other AAP principles that need to be demonstrated in the proposal and later in the implementation are mutual trust and respect, sustainability, innovativeness, co-creation, accountability, transparency, flexibility as well as multi-disciplinarity and trans-disciplinarity. Alignment of proposed activities and program goal(s) to AAP’s 3 strategic objectives and 7 priority areas. Potential for program deliverables to significantly contribute to their respective academic, technical, or technological fields. Potential to create innovative models of community engagement and development that positively impact people’s lives. Potential for principal investigators to attract and or leverage additional external funding to sustain program’s impact. A thorough monitoring, evaluating, and learning plan that links program activities to their intended outputs and outcomes and includes a clear description of the MEL tools that will be used, what indicators will be measured, and a timeline for evaluation and reporting. Gender equality, equity and inclusion are core values of AAP and are thus central to this call. All projects funded must demonstrate how they follow principles of gender and inclusion and should explain how applicants will integrate gender, equity, and inclusion issues in all stages of the project, including rationale, design, intended results, data collection, analysis, interpretation, and knowledge mobilization processes. BUDGET PIRA BUDGET TEMPLATE [.XLSX] Using the template provided, applicants must submit a line-item budget and budget narrative for the life of the program that details each institution’s requested budget as well as an overall budget summary. Suggested line items are provided as guidelines but are not comprehensive or required. Proposed budgets should be co-created by the partnership teams and reflect an equitable distribution of funds, with each institution completing a separate tab within the budget template to show the anticipated disbursement of resources and cost sharing broken down by yearly expenditures. The budget narrative should clearly explain how the line items are calculated and for what purpose they will be used in achieving the program’s objectives. Please note that the MSU PI and their home department will be responsible for the financial administration of the award. As such, it is required that the MSU PI involve their department’s fiscal officer in the development of the proposed budget to ensure all financial guidelines and reporting requirements are met. Please submit budgets as an Excel file or similar formatted version that allows the reviewers to view the formulas used in the calculations. Communications and Engagement10% of the total requested funds must be earmarked for communication and engagement efforts. For example, if a team is requesting a scaling grant for $100,000, at least $10,000 of that must be budgeted for communication and engagement efforts, such as developing creative projects that translate the research, engagement workshops and developing and utilizing dissemination tools such as video production, creation of digital resources, community engagement activities, etc. Cost Share 10% of the total requested funds must be matched with contributions (monetary and/or in-kind) from all partners. The Co-PIs’ colleges, faculties. and/or departments will be expected to contribute to the costs of the proposed activities to ensure that the commitment to long-term partnering is shared by these units.  Ineligible Expenses While funding may be used for a variety of activities, the following expenses are not eligible to be covered with the PIRA grants: Regular salary of MSU faculty (summer salary is allowable) Indirect costs (IDC) Equipment exceeding $5,000 Construction-related costs  Total project salary & fringe cannot exceed 30% of total combined project budget. SELECTION PROCESS Proposals will initially be reviewed by the AAP management team according to the guidelines and criteria above. Short-listed applications will be assessed by external peer reviewers for quality of technical content. Final selections will be made by the AAP management team in consultation with its internal partners and consortium members. SUBMISSION AND AWARD TIMELINE APPLICATION PORTAL Full proposal packages are due on Wednesday, August 14 at 11:59 PM EST and awards will be announced by early October. AAP management will work with awardees to finalize the plan and budget by November 20, 2024. Programs may begin according to their timeline but not before a final work plan and budget has been approved by AAP management. Programs must begin no later than January 22, 2025 and all program activities must be completed within 18 months of the start date. Progress will be due to AAP management at regular intervals throughout implementation. In addition, AAP will be conducting intermittent surveys of the awardees to evaluate the PIRA grant-making process and how successfully it embodies the AAP’s values of equity, transparency, and accountability. Read more

Call for Applications: Africa Fellows in Education Program Deadline: Apr 01, 2024 Donor: PEP - Partnership for Economic Policy (PEP) Grant Size: Funding includes a $35K research (cash) grant. Other expenses, with a value of up to $25K, for mentorship, study visits, conference travel, and in-country workshops to share research findings and training will be covered directly by the Program. The Global Education Analytics Institute (GEAI), in collaboration with PEP, invites young African researchers, who are motivated to work on educational improvement and could benefit from additional support, to submit an expression of interest in the AFEP. For more information, visit https://lnkd.in/d29YWbZB Read more

AAP seeks proposals from consortium members and their partners for projects that directly address AAP's Transforming Institutions pillar - transforming institutions to be better able to participate in sustainable, equitable, and research-driven partnerships that make a broader impact on transforming lives. Successful applicants will receive up to $20,000 USD in seed funding to develop international strategic partnerships with universities, institutions of higher education and research, and/or organizations in the public and/or NGO sectors.  Proposed projects should focus specifically on institutional and capacity strengthening. This could include projects that: aim to reinforce institutional strengths; contribute to individuals’ capacity strengthening, which will lead to institutional strengthening; plan for the creation of new units or institution-wide initiatives; and/or pilot new approaches to support research, teaching, or outreach that can be scaled up across the institution(s).Some specific examples of the types of programs that could fall under this funding initiative: developing plans or programs to improve institutional financial management structures, building capacity of administrative units or leaders, improving structures for outreach and research dissemination, creating new and innovative curricula or pedagogical approaches in priority areas, strengthening student service units focused on various aspects of student success, or institutional programs to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (for faculty staff, and/or students). Proposals that solely focus on research topics unrelated to institutional capacity strengthening and do not directly address how the work contributes to institutional strengthening will not be considered. I. Guidelines Proposals may be submitted in one of the following three project categories in support of institutional strengthening and capacity development: Exploratory Projects to support initial-stage partnership development. This funding is meant for new partnerships that have not previously worked together Proposal Development Projects to support partners to develop a proposal in response to a specific funding opportunity  Pilot Workshop Projects to support short-term training activities or workshops We highly encourage projects that incorporate South-South collaboration. This has been identified as an AAP priority and will be factored into the selection process. We also encourage collaboration across Francophone and Anglophone countries/consortium members. Proposals that address at least one of the following focus areas will receive priority in review: student success financial management systems diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) science communication  Details on funding and development of applicants’ project budget: Applicants can request a maximum of $20,000 USD.  Funding can cover travel and/or associated meeting or workshop costs. The budget may also cover salary/fringe expenses up to a total of $5,000 USD. Travel can include any of the following—within Africa, to Africa from external locations, from Africa to the US, or to other locations outside of Africa. Virtual engagement is highly encouraged as it can be cost effective. Applicants are required to contribute 20% in cost share for the project, in addition to the amount that AAP awards. For example, if an applicant requests $20,000 from AAP, the applicants will need to contribute a total of an additional $4,000 in cost share to the project, so that the total budget for the project would be $24,000.  Cost share refers to the resources a recipient contributes to the total cost of an agreement. Cost share can be cash, in-kind contributions (such as donated time of a faculty member) or a combination of the two.  The cost share required is a combined 20% contribution across all the partner institutions, with each institution contributing some amount. It must be verified in a letter of endorsement from the applicant partner institution leadership (e.g., Dean). Please see the link to the template that AAP has provided under Section IV. Proposal Requirements. MSU PI’s should identify the relevant fiscal officer within their department and verify within the budget template    Indirect costs are not allowed. This is because AAP is an entity directly funded by Michigan State University. Projects funded by AAP do not allow for indirect, administrative, or contingent costs. AAP policy allows funding only for those activities that can be directly attributed to the funded project. Applicants are responsible for communicating with and receiving approvals from appropriate administrative, research, or finance offices at their institutions and to verify that they understand that indirect costs are not allowed under this grant program. II. Eligibility Proposals should include co-PIs (project leads) from each of the partner institutions included in the proposal. Proposals must include PI(s) from MSU and PI(s) from at least one other AAP consortium member (Egerton University, Makerere University, University of Dar es Salaam, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Botswana, University of Nigeria-Nsukka, Université Cheikh Anta Diop, Université des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines de Bamako, University of Pretoria, United States International University – Africa, and ANAPRI). As mentioned above, AAP highly encourages South-South collaboration and proposals with multiple consortium members and/or additional partners are welcomed.  Priority will be given to PIs who have not received funding from AAP previously through any AAP-funded program. Faculty members may only be listed (as PI or as team member) on one proposal submitted to AAP for each round of funding. AAP will work with successful applicants to verify a timeline for when activities will be completed. (Partnership teams should carry out projects between June 3, 2024 and August 29, 2025). Awarded funds must be transferred to the MSU PI's department by June 30, 2024. III. Evaluation Criteria Criteria that will be used to evaluate the proposals includes: Evidence of a shared vision and mutually beneficial interests among the partners, and   a joint commitment to the success of the proposed partnership Clarity of the connection of proposed activities to AAP’s Transforming Institutions pillar Demonstrated integration of gender, equity, and inclusion principles Quality of short-term outputs/outcomes of proposed activities Potential for a sustained, productive partnership; quality of long-term impacts of proposed activities Potential for leveraging significant external funding Indicators used to evaluate the outputs/outcomes of completed projects include: Evidence of continued productive collaboration among partner institutions around transforming all organizations involved in the partnership The number and quality of institutional improvements that stem from partnership activities Symposia or conferences held to disseminate work stemming from partnership activities Collaborative grant applications submitted and awarded Collaborative research publications completed Other measures of institutional transformation as proposed by the implementing teams Reporting: A follow-up report including data on these criteria will be required 30 days after the project end date. IV. Partnership Activities Proposed partnerships should center on capacity strengthening activities, including external funding proposal development and dissemination of outputs, which contribute to transformation at all partnering institutions. Proposed activities should ultimately lead to potential long-term collaborations among the partner institutions. Follow-on funding may be allocated for continued support to develop these partnerships depending on the outcomes of the initial budget and availability of funds. V. Partnership Funding Transforming Institutions partnership funds will provide partial support of travel, meeting, and workshop costs for AAP consortium faculty members and their partners. The Co-PIs’ colleges, faculties. and/or departments will be expected to contribute to the costs of the proposed activities to ensure that the commitment to long-term partnering is shared by these units. A total of 20% match (monetary and/or in-kind) is required with contributions from all partners. These awards should ultimately result in the development and submission of a collaborative funding proposal (including partner institution faculty) for external funding, as well as having positive impacts on other indicators of institutional transformation. VI. Proposal Requirements Proposals must be submitted in English via the online submission form linked below and should include the following documents: Narrative (maximum of five pages), which addresses the specific areas below. Please use these as section headings in the proposal, which will help applicants organize their proposals and help the reviewers score the proposals.  The proposed topics or issues that the activities will address The activities being proposed for this funding. Please include a description of the activities, the role of each partner, and the timeline.  A general description of the partners and individuals who will take part in the project  The history of partnership among those involved and the potential for sustained future engagement A description of the partners’ shared vision and how each partner will benefit from the proposed activities Considerations taken for gender, equity, and inclusion (in terms of the team members and the project activities) How the activities will contribute to transforming all the institutions included in the partnership. Please describe the objectives of the activities, the anticipated short-term outcomes of the project, and their relation to the institutions’ needs The anticipated longer-term outcomes and impact of the proposed activities Identification of external funding opportunities that could support the proposed research/activities in the future Short project summary (200 words maximum) giving an overview of the work proposed including expected impacts, project outputs, etc. Letters of endorsement from each applicants’ deans, department chairpersons, or supervisors committing to a total minimum of 20% matching funds, providing a description of any monetary or in-kind contributions from each partner institution, and acknowledging that indirect costs are not allowed. Please use the provided letter of endorsement template. Proposed itemized budget. Please use the provided budget template. VII. Submitting a Proposal Please submit proposals via our online submission form. In addition to the information required on the submission form, be sure to include all required documents listed above in (narrative, letters of endorsement, proposed budget using the provided template). Submission deadline: March 1, 2024 (11:59pm EST)  Questions Please contact AAP Program Manager Justin Rabineau (rabinea1@msu.edu) or AAP Co-Director Amy Jamison at (jamisona@msu.edu) with any questions. Read more

Would you like to make a difference in your community? Are you passionate about the Sustainable Development Goals? Join the next UNLEASH Innovation Lab in Rwanda, a thriving start-up hub on the African continent.   The UNLEASH Innovation Lab in Rwanda will take place from December 2 to December 8, and changemakers aged between 18-35 will have the opportunity to apply for this transformative (and fully-funded!) experience until July 19.   During the Lab, 1,000 young participants from all over the world will come up with new ideas and co-create innovative initiatives through human-centered design thinking – a process that focuses on the real needs of the people that the solution caters to. Experienced facilitators and experts will guide the participants through different stages of the innovation process.   Who can apply? The Innovation Lab in Rwanda is open to young people between the ages of 18 and 35. We select participants that are: Passionate and committed to solving the world’s sustainability challenges Creative and have an innovative mindset Enthusiastic about working together with peers and experts Able to understand and communicate in English   Apply Now: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdKQHPtjR2UTrJjzxFPhc8MkZOmRMjFeOrp8jac5JQZ4tTNyQ/viewform   Learn More: https://unleash.org/rwanda/    Read more

Deadline: Jun 09, 2023 Donor: Peacebuilding Support Office Grant Type: Grant Grant Size: More than $1 million Countries/Regions: Bosnia And Herzegovina, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Congo DR, El Salvador, Gambia, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Honduras, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Papua New Guinea, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan Area: Climate Change, Environment, Natural Resources, Peace & Conflict Resolution, Women & Gender, Youth & Adolescents The Peacebuilding Fund has launched an open call for the Gender Promotion Initiative (GPI) and the Youth Promotion Initiative (YPI) Program. For more information, visit https://www.un.org/peacebuilding/content/gypi-en Premium Link: https://grants.fundsforngospremium.com/opportunity/op/Call-for-Proposals-Gender-and-Youth-Promotion-initiatives Read more

Deadline: Jun 30, 2023 Donor: 100+ Accelerator Grant Type: Awards, Prizes and Challenges Grant Size: $10,000 to $100,000 Countries/Regions: All Countries Area: Agriculture Food & Nutrition, Farming 100+ Accelerator is excited to launch the Sustainable Agriculture Challenge to Help farmers produce sustainable and regenerative high yielding, high quality crops by leveraging science, technology and financing. For more information, visit https://www.100accelerator.com/index.php/en/challenge/smart-agriculture Premium Link: https://grants.fundsforngospremium.com/opportunity/op/Apply-for-Sustainable-Agriculture-Challenge Read more

Deadline: Jun 30, 2023 Donor: 100+ Accelerator Grant Type: Awards, Prizes and Challenges Grant Size: $10,000 to $100,000 Countries/Regions: All Countries Area: Accidents & Traffic Safety, Road Safety, Economic Development, Water 100+ Accelerator is inviting applications for the Inclusive Growth Challenge to help create economic prosperity across the entire value chain. For more information, visit https://www.100accelerator.com/en/challenge/inclusive-growth Premium Link: https://grants.fundsforngospremium.com/opportunity/op/Submit-your-Solution-for-Inclusive-Growth-Challenge- Read more

Deadline: Jun 30, 2023 Donor: 100+ Accelerator Grant Type: Awards, Prizes and Challenges Grant Size: $10,000 to $100,000 Countries/Regions: All Countries Area: Business & Industry, Water, Water & Sanitation, Water Conservation 100+ Accelerator is pleased to announce a call for applications to the Water Stewardship Challenge to help optimize the full water process across business operations and help improve water quality and availability in the surrounding communities to build a more water-secure world. For more information, visit https://www.100accelerator.com/en/challenge/water Premium Link: https://grants.fundsforngospremium.com/opportunity/op/100-Accelerator-Water-Stewardship-Challenge- Read more

Deadline: Jun 30, 2023 Donor: 100+ Accelerator Grant Type: Awards, Prizes and Challenges Grant Size: $10,000 to $100,000 Countries/Regions: All Countries Area: Business & Industry, Businesses, Companies and Enterprises, Startups, Biodiversity, Information Technology, Science The 100+ Accelerator is looking for startups that have solutions to protect, renew, and grow the biodiversity of all ecosystems to sustain life on Earth, and maintain the foundation of the supply chains and businesses. For more information, visit https://www.100accelerator.com/index.php/en/challenge/biodiversity Premium Link: https://grants.fundsforngospremium.com/opportunity/op/100-Accelerators-Biodiversity-Challenge-Apply-Now Read more

Deadline: Aug 15, 2023 Donor: Wildlife Acoustics Grant Type: Grant Grant Size: $10,000 to $100,000 Countries/Regions: Afghanistan, Aland Islands, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antarctica, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia And Herzegovina, Botswana, Bouvet Island, Brazil, British Indian Ocean Territory, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Colombia, Comoros, Congo (Brazzaville), Congo DR, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote DIvoire (Ivory Coast), Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Falkland Islands (Malvinas), Faroe Islands, Fiji, Finland, France, French Guiana, French Polynesia, French Southern Territories, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guernsey, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Heard Island And Mcdonald Islands, Holy See (Vatican City State), Honduras, Hong Kong SAR, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Isle Of Man, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jersey, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mexico, Micronesia Federated States Of, Moldova Republic Of, Monaco, Mongolia, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Burma(Myanmar), Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Palestinian Territories, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Pitcairn, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Reunion, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Helena, Saint Kitts And Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Pierre And Miquelon, Saint Vincent And The Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome And Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Georgia And The South Sandwich Islands, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Svalbard And Jan Mayen, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, East Timor (Timor-Leste), Togo, Tokelau, Tonga, Trinidad And Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Turks And Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, United States Minor Outlying Islands, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Viet Nam, British Virgin Islands, United States Virgin Islands, Wallis And Futuna, Western Sahara, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Montenegro, Saint Barthélemy, Serbia, Kosovo, South Sudan , Curaçao, Bonaire Sint Eustatius and Saba, Saint Martin (French Part), Sint Maarten (Dutch Part) Area: Animals & Wildlife, Birds, Habitat, Biodiversity, Conservation, Environment, Scientific Research Wildlife Acoustics is proud to offer a grant program that provides scientists with products and software to help further their research into the study of bats, birds, frogs and other vocal wildlife. For more information, visit https://www.wildlifeacoustics.com/grant-program Premium Link: https://grants.fundsforngospremium.com/opportunity/op/Scientific-Product-Grant-Program Read more

GUEST EDITORSAdam Calo, Assistant Professor of Environmental Governance and Politics, Radboud UniversityColine Perrin, Senior Researcher in Geography, INRAEKirsteen Shields, Senior Lecturer in International Law and Food Systems, University of EdinburghSylvia Kay, Researcher, The Transnational InstituteSarah Ruth Sippel, Professor of Economic Geography and Globalization Studies, University of Münster This Elementa special feature invites articles exploring the role of land in sustainable food transformations. The forthcoming collection provides new understandings on how governance of land (property relations, land access, land tenure, landscape policy) mediates the potential for food system transformations. The special issue goes beyond understanding dynamics of the land food nexus to ask how land relations can be reformed to create favorable conditions for more just and sustainable food systems to emerge. A complete call for proposals can be found here.   Land relations—property, access, tenure, landscape—are a central underlying driver of the material form of food systems, from farm to distribution. Despite their fluidity and historical and geographical diversity, land relations have a tendency to become “normalized” through law, custom, and practice. In particular, the exclusionary private ownership model of property has come to be deeply entrenched in legal systems worldwide, particularly in the Global North. The power of this normalization is evidenced, for example, in how research and practice aimed at reshaping food systems from grassroots movement, policy-level, or biophysical perspectives often omit the role of land relations in bringing about agricultural sustainability and agrarian change. Understanding land relations as “static” thus  potentially constrains or directs the kinds of sustainable agriculture and food transformations that can take place. We thus invite contributions on characterizing the role of land relations in sustainable food production, critiques of existing sustainability interventions in the food system from a perspective of land relations, and socio-legal analysis of pathways to reforming or reimagining synergized land and food system transformations. We aim to highlight the role of land relations and property regimes in a ‘Global North Context’. We call for insights on the power relations embedded in land in both the dominant land regimes that underly the industrial food system but also in the alternative counter movements bubbling up to contest the status quo of the land food nexus. Articles in this special symposium might examine the following topics or other related issues: The role of power relations in assembling land for food production of differing forms; Discourses that shape the legitimacy of strong property regimes and the resulting material influence in institutions, actors, social movements, resources, and technologies; Cross disciplinary learning from other domains such as housing justice, intellectual property debates, and antitrust applied to understand food system transformations; Global South—North food system co-learning on alternative land governance for food systems change; Empirical evidence of the relationship between alternative property regimes and  alternative food system practices such as agroecology, diversified or organic farming, local food processing, and/or food sovereignty; Dominant food system technocratic “solutions” or interventions (such as vertical farming, regenerative agriculture, agricultural easements, payments for ecosystem services, crop biotechnology, alt-proteins and sustainable intensification) and the way they either entrench, challenge, rely upon, or overlook the role of property regimes; Dominant food system social “solutions” or interventions (such as farmer training programs, capacity building, empowerment campaigns, dietary nudging, microfinance) and the way they either entrench, challenge, rely upon, or overlook the role of property regimes; Politics of land reform in (seemingly) stable statutory institutions (such as liberal sovereign states in industrialized economies);  Creative imagined or practiced legal or social pathways to reform the norms of property on farmland or other nodes of the food system; Advancements on access theory with regards to food system transformations; The above themes relate to questions of how land politics influence food system transformation pathways. If you wish to submit a paper to the special issue, please submit a 500-word abstract detailing your article’s title, type, purpose, methodology, key findings, and significance to the guest editors at adam.calo@ru.nl by 14th January. Elementa accepts original research articles, reviews, policy bridges, commentary, and other creative multi-media formats such as interviews and podcasts. and discussion papers. All paper formats will be considered although original research articles are preferred. More information about submission criteria can be found here: https://online.ucpress.edu/elementa/pages/submissionguidelines   Deadlines: Abstracts: 14th January 2023 Authors notified of invitation to submit a paper:  1st February 2023Complete first drafts due to editors: April 28th 2023 (Spring 2023)Reviews sent to authors: Summer 2023 Read more